Forces of the Democratic Alternative

The Forces of the Democratic Alternative (French: Forces de l'alternative démocratique or French: Forces du pacte de l'Alternative démocratique (FPAD), Kabyle: Yiɣallen n ubeddel agdudanagdudan, Arabic: العقد السياسي لقوى البديل الديمقراطي; also: Democratic Alternative Forces Pact, Forces of the Pact of the Democratic Alternative) or FDA is a wide alliance of political parties and citizens' groups in Algeria created in mid 2019[1] during the 2019 Algerian protests, with the aim of organising a constituent assembly for a new political system with an independent judiciary and a transitionary period to democracy.[2]

Forces of the Democratic Alternative
Typespolitical alliance 
Established26 June 2019  (2 years ago)
CountryAlgeria 
Aimregime change 

Creation

The Forces of the Democratic Alternative alliance was created in a meeting in Algiers on 26 June 2019 during the 2019 Algerian protests, among several political parties and prominent individuals.[1] On 27 August, the FDA was forced by Algerian authorities to cancel a meeting it had planned for 28 August. The authorities did not explain why the meeting was forbidden.[3] A formal convention between the participants was signed at a national meeting soon after, on 9 September 2019.[1]

Members

As of its 9 September 2019 meeting, the FDA included the Socialist Forces Front (FFS), the Rally for Culture and Democracy (RCD), the Workers' Party (PT), the Socialist Workers Party (PST), the Union for Change and Progress (UPC), the Democratic and Social Movement (MDS), the Party for Secularism and Democracy (PLD) and the Algerian League for the Defense of Human Rights (LADDH).[2][4]

Aims

The FDA aims to organise a constituent assembly for a new political system in Algeria with an independent judiciary and a transitionary period to democracy.[2] It opposes the 12 December presidential election. Its call for a boycott was joined by other groups, including the Party of Liberty and Justice led by Mohamed Saïd and by the Justice and Development Front (FJD) led by Abdallah Djaballah.[5]

The Dynamiques de la société civile, a coalition of trade unions, citizens' groups and individuals created on 15 June 2019 during Hirak, stated that it would cooperate with the FDA and similar alliances.[6][7]

Actions

In early January 2020, the FDA proposed a "national democracy meeting" French: assises nationales de la démocratie) on 25 January 2020 for all those wishing for a "democratic alternative". The meeting would aim to debate mechanisms and the nature of the political transition and of the procedures of a constituent assembly.[8]

The meeting was held on 25 January as planned, apart from a change of venue because the signed agreement to use the Safex hall was "tacitly" cancelled by the authorities the day before the meeting,[9] with 400 participants from diverse political parties and citizens' associations.[10] The participants agreed on what they saw as the illegitimacy of the 12 December 2019 presidential election and the new president's method of proposing modifications to the Algerian constitution. The organisers promised to hold another meeting to decide on the mechanisms of a "democratic, autonomous" institutional transition, during which "illegitimate institutions" would be dissolved, and to plan the procedures of organising a sovereign constituent assembly.[11]

References
  1. "Création du Pacte de l'Alternative démocratique (PAD) France (Communiqué)". L'Avant-Garde. 26 September 2019. Archived from the original on 3 November 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  2. Lamriben, Hocine (10 September 2019). "Réunies hier au siège du RCD : Les Forces de l'Alternative démocratique rejettent "l'agenda de la présidentielle"". El Watan. Archived from the original on 3 November 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  3. "Algeria: Tightening the Screws on Protests". Human Rights Watch. 9 September 2019. Archived from the original on 3 November 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  4. Ouarabi, Mokrane Ait (4 November 2019). "PLD : "Cette présidentielle ne garantit pas le départ du système"" [This presidential election doesn't guarantee that the removal of the system]. El Watan (in French). Archived from the original on 5 November 2019. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  5. Ouarabi, Mokrane Ait (30 September 2019). "Présidentielle du 12 décembre : Le front du boycott s'élargit" [12 December presidential election: the boycott front widens]. El Watan (in French). Archived from the original on 2 November 2019. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  6. Iddir, Nadir (17 November 2019). "Dynamiques de la société civile : Cap sur la conférence nationale" [Dynamiques de la société civile: towards a national meeting]. El Watan (in French). Archived from the original on 15 December 2019. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  7. Rafa, Amir (13 August 2019). "Rencontre des dynamiques de la société civile samedi" [Saturday meeting of the Dynamiques de la société civile]. Liberté (in French). Archived from the original on 15 December 2019. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  8. Amir, Nabila (7 January 2020). "Les forces du PAD appellent à une riposte politique : Des assises nationales de la démocratie le 25 janvier" [The PAD forces call for a political response: a national democracy meeting on 25 January]. El Watan (in French). Archived from the original on 8 January 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  9. Aichoun, Abdelghani (26 January 2020). "L'appel au dialogue face au retour à la répression et le maintien des entraves à l'exercice politique : Les incohérences d'une démarche politique" [Calling for dialogue while repressing and obstructing political activity: the inconsistency of a political approach]. El Watan (in French). Archived from the original on 27 January 2020. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  10. "Youcef Tazibt. Dirigeant du Parti des travailleurs (PT) : "Le départ des symboles du régime ne signifie absolument pas le changement"" [Youcef Tazibt. Head of the Workers' Party (PT): 'The departure of icons of the regime does not at all mean that anything has changed']. El Watan (in French). 27 January 2020. Archived from the original on 27 January 2020. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  11. Ouali, Hacen (26 January 2020). "Le mouvement a tenu ses assises hier à Alger : Le PAD tient à "la transition démocratique"" [The movement held its meeting yesterday in Algiers: PAD insists on a 'democratic transition']. El Watan (in French). Archived from the original on 27 January 2020. Retrieved 27 January 2020.

See also
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